Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP)

Trainings

There will be a GRAIP road inventory training June 6-9th, 2023 in Boise and conducting field practice in the surrounding area. Contact Tom Black for more details.

Previous GRAIP Trainings

Inventory Training

• The GRAIP Road Inventory - May 2015 GRAIP Inventory Training
• GRAIP: Quantifying the Impacts of Forest Roads on Aquatic Systems - May 2015 Context and Training presentation 

GRAIP Manuals

• Geomorphic Road Analysis & Inventory Package (GRAIP): Quality Assurance Project Plan (2009)
• GRAIP Manual - Data Collection Method (2010)  
• GRAIP Manual - Office Procedures (2011)
• The Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP) Volume 1: Data Collection Method (2012)
• The Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP) Volume 2: Office Procedures (2012)
• Measuring water and sediment discharge from a road plot with a settling basin and tipping bucket (2013)
• The Geomorphic Road Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP) - Volume 2: Office Procedures - Addendum for GRAIP 1.0.9 (2014) 

Choosing GRAIP

What is GRAIP?

GRAIP is the Geomorphic Roads Analysis and Inventory Package. It is a simple and free road inventory and modeling tool designed to quantify road impacts on streams and to help land managers efficiently evaluate the multiple aspects of risk created by forest roads.

Why use GRAIP?

Roads have been shown to alter the hydrologic and geomorphic response of watersheds and can impact aquatic ecosystems and degrade water quality. GRAIP can be applied at a variety of spatial scales, but is well suited to capture the multiple effects of roads at a sub-watershed scale to identify the most critical restoration opportunities.

How does GRAIP work?

The field portion of the GRAIP process is a comprehensive GPS road inventory that includes observations of how and where water flows along each road segment and at each location where water leaves the road, road and infrastructure conditions including vegetation on the road, and whether road sediment is delivered to the stream network. These observations are imported into ArcGIS as shapefiles and combined with a DEM and derived hydrological rasters. The GRAIP toolbar/toolbox in ArcGIS then models the road surface sediment production and delivery to streams, risks of mass wasting (gullies and landslides), and risks of stream crossings becoming occluded. Results from the GRAIP model can be combined with the other field observations of existing road related gully and landslide volume and stream delivery, stream crossing conditions, fill erosion volume and stream delivery, and other drainage and road surface infrastructure condition problems.

Who Supports and Uses GRAIP?

GRAIP is a collaborative Joint venture between the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and Utah State University. RMRS staff supports GRAIP from the Boise Aquatic Sciences Lab. GRAIP has an active user community that includes partners inside and outside of public land management and regulatory agencies, including: the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Land Management, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nature Conservancy, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Southwest Crown of the Continent Collaborative, Coos Watershed Association, Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Wilderness Society, and the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative.

Do I have to know GIS to run GRAIP? GPS? Road inventory?

It is not mandatory to have a high level of GIS or GPS training to begin working with GRAIP, but it is important to have a basic familiarity with ArcGIS and to be willing to learn. If your GIS skills are minimal it will help to take a basic GIS review course online or to have assistance from a local GIS specialist to get you started. We are willing to help people with basic GIS skills to learn the process and we periodically offer training in the use of GRAIP. The GPS equipment and inventory procedure are fairly intuitive and most students are functional after three days of training.

Can you use existing data in the GRAIP package?

GRAIP depends on having precise location information about where water leaves the road and if that water is reaching the channel network via a surface flow path. Few people collect these data as part of routine road inventories so it has been hard to utilize this data in GRAIP. It is theoretically possible to make this work with the right data.

At what scales can GRAIP be applied?

GRAIP has been used at a variety of scales from small road treatment projects to 5th code HUCS. The scale that is chosen depends on the goals being pursued. Many users have used GRAIP as a way of prioritizing where to focus restoration and road improvement work in basins with known sediment and aquatic habitat issues. GRAIP can show you where sediment-related problems are most severe within a larger area, and it can be used to show the effect of treatments to those sites.

What are some other tools I can use?

• There are a variety of tools that have been developed to predict the impacts of roads on the environment.  
• GRAIP_Lite uses DEMs, already existing road GIS layers with surfacing type information, and a small field calibration dataset to determine 6th code subwatershed scale road sediment production and delivery. Road layers are broken into GRAIP-style segments. Production is calculated in the usual GRAIP way, and delivery is based on the flow distance from the road to the stream and the calibrated probability of delivery at that distance. GRAIP_Lite is good at narrowing a large potential project area to the smaller watersheds with the most sediment problems.
• WEPP a physically based model that predicts water and sediment movement on hillslopes and roads. There are a variety of formulations and interfaces for the basic WEPP model that can simplify its use for various purposes.  
• WEPP Road is a web based tool for estimating sediment production from a road segment given the input parameters of road length, road slope, road width, surfacing type, soil texture, road prism configuration and traffic loading. Climate files are provided that are used to simulate and drive the runoff and sediment predictions. Sediment delivery estimates can be predicted based on user inputs about the conditions below the road drain point. The inputs are soil texture, slope gradient, and flow path length. WEPP Roads is useful for quickly estimating the magnitude of sediment production from average road configurations and calculating the benefits of road improvements. It is not a spatially explicit model for road sediment so it may not capture the watershed scale effects of the road network.
• The R1/R4 model including Boised, NezSed and other related models have been used by the Forest Service in the Rocky Mountain region to predict sediment production from roads, harvest units and burned areas. The road component of the model uses disturbed area, road slope, road age, erosion control mechanisms and road usage to calculate sediment production. Sediment delivery is estimated by assigning a delivery ratio to the land types on which the road is constructed.  
• SEDMODL2 is a model for predicting sediment production and delivery from forest roads developed by Boise Cascade and NCASI. The model works in GIS environment and like the R1/R4 methods it uses a linear combination of road factors to predict sediment production. Sediment delivery is based on road and stream proximity. Detailed information on drain point location is not mandatory, but is supported in later versions of the model.
• Fish Xing is a tool kit for predicting fish passage through stream crossing features. This is a powerful tool that depends on a detailed survey of stream crossing and channels to predict the hydraulic conditions that will occur. These predictions are compared to the capabilities of a host of aquatic species to predict if and when the crossing may be a barrier to passage. The fish passage criteria used in GRAIP are based on a simplified set of assumptions from the literature and should be considered a first approximation indicating if further scrutiny is warranted. If FishXing or other fish passage surveys have been completed they can be used in place of the calculations made by GRAIP.
• Stream Systems Technology Center - The Stream Systems Technology Center, or "STREAM TEAM " is a national technical center chartered to improve knowledge of stream systems and watershed hydrology, develop operational tools and technology, provide training and technical support, and identify research needs for the purpose of coordinating development of needed technology to secure favorable conditions of water flows. The Stream Systems Technology Center is part of the Washington Office Watershed, Fisheries, and Wildlife Staff.

Is GRAIP the same as GRAIP_Lite?

Though GRAIP and GRAIP_Lite share some elements, the two models are not equivalent. GRAIP is used to inventory and analyze forest roads at a fine road-segment scale, and utilizes an intensive field inventory to accomplish this. GRAIP results are spatially explicit within a few meters and can be used to locate, prioritize, analyze, and monitor specific road treatments. Because GRAIP is so comprehensive, the time investment often prohibits its application it on a scale wider than a 5th code watershed at a time.

GRAIP_Lite uses the same principles as GRAIP to determine broad-scale road surface sediment risks over a much wider area very quickly, and is used as a tool to determine where the largest problems likely occur on a 6th code subwatershed scale. Further work such as a full GRAIP inventory can then be applied in order to find the specific locations within the subwatershed that have problems that should be addressed. There is a minimal field component (to gather a calibration dataset), but most of the modeling uses existing datasets and can be completed in the office.

What are some advantages of using this package?

GRAIP is a comprehensive field-based road-related erosion modeling tool, incorporating not only road surface fine sediment production and delivery, but also observations and modeling related to mass wasting, stream crossing risks, and drainage infrastructure problems. GRAIP excels at helping managers prioritize and support BMP and restoration decisions. The GIS based output is location-specific, simplifies the assimilation of the information by managers, and facilitates its use in prioritization decisions. Model outputs can be easily displayed in the form of maps showing areas of high sediment delivery to channels and the road segments and drainage features that lead to the elevated risk. GRAIP methods are well-documented in peer-reviewed publications and technical reports. GRAIP uses field observations to determine the flow paths of water on roads and where water and sediment actually leave the road and connect to stream channels. GRAIP is able to use locally developed erosion rates to predict sediment production and delivery on a local and a watershed basis.

Where should I start?

We suggest that you start in your areas of critical concern. In Oregon, Washington, and Idaho we are focused on roads impacting aquatic habitat for endangered fish species. We have worked on watersheds that are on the 303(d) list due to elevated fine sediment input. Other regions have concerns about road related landslides and gullies, post-fire effects and restoration, or decommissioning un-needed roads. GRAIP_Lite can help determine which watersheds in a larger area are likely to be most impacted by road surface fine sediment.

If you are going to try using GRAIP on a project-scale to model the change in sediment delivery before and after a treatment is applied, choose a project that has a sizeable road/stream interaction. A small timber sale on a ridge top location with 0.6 miles of temporary road may not show a substantial sediment impact in GRAIP if the roads do not approach the channel. GRAIP is good at finding sediment sources to reduce as the road and channel network become more proximally connected.

Using GRAIP

What equipment do I need to use GRAIP?

Required Software:

• Pathfinder Office v.3 or later
• TerraSync v.4 or later
• ArcGIS 9 (an ArcGIS 10 version of GRAIP is currently being programmed and tested, and is expected to be released in 2016)
• TauDEM 4
• SINMAP 2
• GRAIP

Field Equipment:

For the most part, the field equipment is similar to many other field endeavors (measuring tapes, stadia rod, flag tape, etc.). The piece of equipment that may be more difficult to obtain is a GPS unit that can run TerraSync. Look at our updated list of equipment for a complete list of the necessary field equipment.

How do I get the training needed to collect data and run the model?

We hold trainings at the Research Lab in Boise, ID about once a year. To get the latest information on the next available training, please contact Tom Black.

What is included in the model download?

On the GRAIP download site you will be directed to install TauDEM 4, SINMAP 2, and the GRAIP GIS extension for the toolbar. These are all required to run the model.

What is the difference between GRAIP 1.0.10 and GRAIP 2?

The main difference is that GRAIP 1.0.10 was not compatible with ArcGIS 10, and so required the user to install the outdated ArcGIS 9 on their system. GRAIP 2 is compatible with ArcGIS 10. Additionally, GRAIP 2 runs as an ArcToolbox, whereas GRAIP 1.0.10 ran as a toolbar in ArcMap. Finally, GRAIP 2 uses up-to-date hydrological modeling and raster formats.

Which roads should I inventory first?

If the goal is to assess the road geomorphic impacts on a 6th code HUC for a management project it is recommended that the inventory progress in a systematic fashion through the road system, to maximize efficiency and minimize gaps or duplication. The system works most smoothly if the inventory is conducted from the stream bottoms towards the ridges.

Can you use an ATV? Walk? Bicycle?  

The road inventory data can be collected from a variety of platforms as long as a GPS device can be used and fine-scale road and hillslope observations can be made. The most time-efficient way to collect data is from a vehicle, though that is not always possible. It is often necessary to cover closed roads and otherwise undriveable roads by foot, bicycle, or ATV.  

What if I need to collect other data for other inventories while in the field? Can I alter the GRAIP data dictionary?

We do not recommend editing the data dictionary without first discussing the implications with us. We have found that the GRAIP model is sensitive to very minor changes in the data dictionary, like adding or removing a space between characters. It is crucial that the data dictionary and the GRAIP model version be synchronized. Feel free to contact us to be sure that you have the latest versions available.

How long will it take to complete the field work for my project?

Past field projects have progressed at an average rate of about two miles per day per crew, with a range of less than one mile to ten miles.  Variation depends on the work schedule, commute distance, local GPS reception, road type and amount of complication, and degree of topographic dissection.  

Where does the base erosion rate come from?

There are a few ways to obtain a base erosion rate for GRAIP. The most accurate way is to install road sediment measuring plots in or near the area of interest that get weighed yearly for three to six years. If this has already been done at a nearby location with a similar geology type, then you may be able to use that base erosion rate. You may be able to use another erosion model to come up with a rate for your area, given soils, precipitation, etc. The default base erosion rate of 79 kg/m/yr comes from sediment plots at Low Pass in western Oregon in the late 1990’s.

How long will the computer processing take when I get back into the office?

The rule of thumb has been one to two days of pre-processing and data editing for every week of data collection per crew. Your results may vary depending on satellite reception quality (affects how much line editing must be done), rate of data collection, and number of data entry errors. It may be a good idea to pre-process the data frequently enough to find any problems while the crew is still working in the local area. There may be places that should be revisited to confirm drainage information or fill in data gaps. Running the model on pre-processed data generally takes under half a day if everything goes well, though analysis will take longer depending on what type of results you are looking for.

Legacy Roads Monitoring Project 

The U.S. Forest Service has been engaged in an extensive program of road improvement efforts called The Legacy Roads Project since 2008.  The goals of this effort are to reduce the hydrologic and geomorphic impacts of the existing Forest Service road network on critical watersheds and aquatic resources by decommissioning and upgrading forest roads.  The Legacy Roads Monitoring Project is a regional effort to examine the effectiveness of the road decommissioning, storm damage risk reduction (SDRR) and road storage projects.

The effectiveness of road decommissioning treatment was measured using a before-after-control impact design (BACI). We are using GRAIP model outputs and associated field observations as indicators of the state of risk.

A sample of 4 miles of road segments is selected for both treated and control sites. The untreated control sites are selected based on their proximity and similarity to treated sites with respect to road construction methods, maintenance levels, geology, and geomorphic setting. Each study site is inventoried before a road treatment occurs, after treatments and, after a 7 year recurrence interval storm event. Control sites are inventoried before treatment and after a 7 year storm event.

Idaho

• Lolo Creek Decommissioning, Clearwater National Forest, Idaho
• Mann Creek Decommissioning, Payette National Forest, Idaho
• Mann Creek Post-Storm Report, Payette National Forest, Idaho
• Island Park, Caribou-Targee National Forest, Idaho

Oregon

• Bull Run River Watershed, Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon
• Granite Creek, Umatilla National Forest, Oregon
• Nestucca River Watershed SDRR, Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon

Montana

• Mill Creek Watershed, Gallatin National Forest, Montana

Washington

• Skokomish River Watershed Decommissioning, Olympic NF, Washington
• Skokomish River Watershed SDRR, Olympic National Forest, Washington
• Suiattle River Watershed SDRR, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington

Utah

• Mammoth Creek Watershed Road Decommissioning, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Legacy Roads Supporting Information

• Road Inventory and Monitory with GRAIP - CDM Water Resources Discipline Webinar (.wmv file). Introduction to GRAIP Road Studies in the Western US - including some examples. August 17, 2010.
• Description and Contacts of two Regional Legacy Roads and Trails Program studies in the Pacific Northwest.

Watershed Studies 

GRAIP watershed studies are used to characterize the level of risk associated with the road network in critical watersheds.  GRAIP provides site specific predictions of road surface erosion, sediment delivery, hydrologic connectivity, stream crossing failure and diversion risk, as well as maps of landslide and gully initiation risk.  The GRAIP outputs empower land managers with the site specific data required to prioritize restoration efforts and to maximize benefits to the aquatic system. 

Oregon

• North Fork Siuslaw, central Oregon coast [full zip file available]
  • Siuslaw National Forest, USFS Region 6, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Wall Creek, eastern Oregon
  • Umatilla National Forest, EPA, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Gerber Creek, southern Oregon
  • Klamath Falls BLM
• Spencer Creek, southern Oregon
  • Klamath Falls BLM
• Lake Creek, western Oregon
  • Eugene BLM

Idaho

• Granite, Jungle, Bear, and Lick Creeks, west-central Idaho
  • Payette National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Upper East Fork Weiser River and Boulder Creek, west-central Idaho
  • Payette National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Beaver Creek, northern Idaho
  • Idaho Panhandle National Forests
• Upper Lolo Creek, north-central Idaho
  • Nez Perce Tribe
• South Fork Salmon River, central Idaho
  • Boise National Forest, EPA, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Middle Fork Payette River, central Idaho
  • Boise National Forest, EPA, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Bear Valley Creek, central Idaho
  • Boise National Forest, EPA, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Grouse Creek, central Idaho
  • Payette National Forest
• Monumental Creek, central Idaho
  • Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Rocky Mountain Research Station

Montana

• Southwest Crown of the Continent Watersheds, western Montana
  • Lolo National Forest, Helena National Forest, Flathead National Forest, Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Southwestern Crown Collaborative, US Geological Survey, Rocky Mountain Research Station

California

• Moonlight, northern Sierra Nevada (Contact team for maps download)
  • Plumas National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Power, central Sierra Nevada
  • Eldorado National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station

Washington

• South Fork Stilliguamish River, northwestern Washington
  • Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, USFS Region 6, Rocky Mountain Research Station
• Deer Creek, northeastern Washington
  • Colville National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station

Collaborators

• GRAIP Software Program Contact

  Dave Tarboton - Utah State University